Grilling apparatuses of this type are known from EP 0653197, wherein these grills are commonly referred to, in particular, as so-called spherical grills and very widely used. The initially cited grilling apparatuses correspond to these known spherical grilling apparatuses. As the name implies, these grilling apparatuses have an approximately spherical external shape. The lower part has an approximately hemispherical shape whereas the cover is indeed curved, but not realized hemispherical.
The concept of a spherical grill is based on the notion that the heat generated by an annular gas burner, the inside diameter of which is greater than a central opening in a conducting cone held in the lower part, results in an approximately uniform heat distribution. The heat predominantly flows around the conducting cone and ascends along the outside of the wall of the conducting cone and the inside of the wall of the lower part until it reaches the cover such that the food being grilled is predominantly subjected to top heat. However, adequate bottom heat that usually suffices for cooking the food being grilled is also produced because the conducting cone is also heated by the annular gas burner. Nevertheless, it would be desirable to selectively supply heat from above or from below similar to a baking oven in order to respectively generate top heat or bottom heat.
EP-0688177 A discloses a grilling apparatus that may be realized in the form of an open or closed grilling apparatus and features a burner that is centrally arranged in the lower part, as well as a heat conducting means that makes it possible to adjust a different heat conduction, namely either in the form of uniform radiant heat that is generated by a plate being heated or in the form of a convective heat distribution that is achieved by raising parts of this plate, as well as the openings being formed thereby, such that heat can be conducted upward either more centrally or more radially depending on the adjustment.
However, other open or closed grilling apparatuses that allow a certain heat conduction are also known, for example, from DE 19515080 A or DE 9411524 U. Although these grilling apparatuses are also provided with annular burners, they have a completely different design and the burners used do not consist of gas burners.
As mentioned above, grilling apparatuses with gas burners of the initially mentioned type have a tendency to predominantly generate top heat such that the users accordingly open the cover and occasionally turn the food to be grilled in order to achieve uniform browning. However, this results in unnecessary energy losses and the constant turning of the food to be cooked also leads to increased soiling of the grilling apparatus.
Although EP 0653917 shows diverse variations that result in more top heat or more bottom heat, neither variation can be changed while the grilling apparatus is in use.